Sometimes its tough to watch, like the tripping call in OT this afternoon for example, but my general philosophy is: if you're playing the game in such a way that the refs are able to influence the outcome in the final minute, then you're not playing hard enough in the first 59.

If the Wings took care of business in their own zone today, the Wings would have been up by two or three goals to close the game out. As it happened, we didn't, and the invitation to hand the game to the Capitals, or the refs was thus handed out.

How will you all feel if he plays in Sochi injured and comes back with a medal and a more serious injury that knocks him out of the rest of the season?

I remember Stevie Y doing this in 2002 and I ask all of you, is it worth missing a chance at the playoffs?

It would suck, but I would do the same thing in his position. Olympics are a big deal. Hosting them is an even bigger deal. Representing your country as Captain is monumental, and it may very well be the last chance he gets at fighting for gold.

You know, I was thinking about our situation today and we might not be as bad off as it seems. Here are a couple options that I see:

1) Convert Waka Flocka Chewbacca from the wing to defense. He's a big guy and I could see him being a good net clearing presence until Big Poppa gets back.

2) Make a trade. We don't have a ton of tradeable assets right now, but maybe General Tso's Chicken could pull a rabbit out of his hat. I'm thinking we could package together Destiny's Child and Can't-stop-thinkin-bout-that-girl-I-banged-in-Starbucks-bathroom-kinda-wish-I-got-her-number-espesh-cause-now-it-burns-when-I-pee-oh-well-hope-its-chillz for an elite puck moving defenseman, maybe someone like Hello Kitty.

3) If all else fails it might be time to come up with some new nicknames for the team I mean how can the team be expected to perform at an elite level with old nicknames, sometimes I feel like I have to think of everything shesh...

It might be a turning point in that if Babs/Holland don't realize that Bert and Cleary are done NOW.... they never will. I wouldn't hold them personally responsible for all goals, but it was fairly obvious tonight which line was causing bad things to happen.

And with Tatar-Sheahan-Jurco dominating supposedly the best team in the league...how do you send any of them down?

This is what I'm worried about. Both Jurco and Sheahan have played far better than I expected they would, and they've been difference makers in just about every game they've played. Furthermore, that line with them and Tatar has been consistently putting pucks into the net. In the playoffs last year our first two lines did what they had to do, but it was the depth at our third line which put us over the top and got us past the Ducks and to game 7 against Chicago. We need to get back to that.

I didn't realize it was "spewing propaganda" to be a fan of the country you're from. Particularly when they played pretty damn well the last time around. And because they've improved since then. And because the larger ice is to their advantage. And because the only team that beat them last time has lost some pretty important pieces.

Sooo, any Team Canada fans have anything to say about the topic that doesn't involve A) Calling me names, B) Accusing me of "propagandizing", or C) Knee-jerk belittling anyone who dares suggest that another team could possibly be good at hockey too?

I know there are some pretty decent people out there who happen to want Canada to win gold, unfortunately they're being over-shadowed by their more...thoughtless...peers.

I'm looking forward to Inglorious Backes picking fights with all the Canadian players leading up to the Olympics

I've never been there, but my girlfriend has, and she said that the food there (not just one restaurant in particular, but everywhere she ate) was consistently some of the best food she's ever had. I don't know if she happened to get lucky and just happened to pick the 10 best restaurants in Montreal, or that they legit have amazing food, but if you go to yelp or something similar online and find what's nearby, I'm under the impression you won't be disappointed.